The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-07-09

no one has doubted that the passover is
referred to. 1t is there the feast, and
not feast of the Jews.
Aug. 20, A. D. IS, 1.-THE sixteenth
year of Tiberius begins; the year of
the crucifxion, element of Alexan-
dria.)" This is just one year from the
beginning of John the Baptist's minis
try; and between seven and eight
months before the crucifxion, as esti-
mated in this TABLETOP short time
by two years, if the book is right. If
the end of this reckoning is right, the
beginning is wrong, and should be put
two years further back.
April 8, A. D. 20, SUNDAY, the first
day of the month Nisan.D Nissan was
the first month Of the Jewish ecclesias-
tical year, at first called Abb. (See
Exod. 12). The first day, of course,
was New Years Day. But the Jews
had two days of this kind one at the
beginning of the ecclesiastical year !;
and one at the beginning of their civil
year. These were six months apart.
DIR. Hanson has two such days in this
table; one, the third of April; the
other, the twenty-ninth of August.
AS these are not six months apart, if
one is right, the other must be wrong.
1t is not certain whether the Jewish
Nissan was our March, or April, or a
part of both. When our author says
that the first day of Nissan was our
third of April, it is no better than guess
work, though he may quote others as
authority. 1 can adduce authorities
for other dates.
April 10, A. D. 20, John xii. ~ ''Sun-
day, Jesus goes to Bethany, six days
before the passover. Jesus came from
Jericho to Bethany, six days before the
passover, according to John xii. 1. But
the record does not say it was Sunday.
1t could not have been, for the passover
began on Thursday evening, as we shall
see; and there could not be six days
between that and Sunday. More likely
he came to Bethany on Friday, and
spent the Sabbath Saturday with his
friends, Lazarus and the two sisters.
1t is not necessary to determine the
date, according to our modern reckon
ing. The passover beginning on the
14th Nissan, Thursday, the preceding
Friday would be the Sth; for add six
to eight, and we have the 14th.
This chronological table is construct
ed somewhat after the plan of pyr-
amid. The largest errors are at the
base. We have found some formidable
ones, up near the apex; but they are
very inferior to those yet to be exam
ined, as will soon be evident.
April IA, A. D. 20, John xix. 14).
"Jesus is crucifed Thursday afternoon.
If this is true, the whole Christian
world, for more than eighteen hundred
years, has been mistaken. Our GOOD
Friday" is a misnomer. 1t should be
Good Thursday. To be sure, the day
is not called Thursday, nor Friday
but it is called preparation Day."
which was Friday for on that day the
Jews prepared for the Sabbath and
Mark says expressly, that the next day
was the Sabbath, XIV. 42.) See also
Matt. xvii. So. Luke xiii. 81 +; John
xix. IA, 81, AZ.
Our author says, 1.-THE preparation in
the evening"" Mark XIV. 42,) that is,
the evening of Thursday. On tie con-
trary, it was the whole of Friday. 1t
was so near the Sabbath, when the cru
cifixion took place, that, to hasten death,
the legs of the robbers were broken-an
unnecessary cruelty, if it was Thurs
day.
April Is, A. d. 20, John xix. 3S).
ION Friday, Joseph and Nicodemus
bury the body" This was true, for the
crucifxion had taken place the same
day. 1t is a new and unheard of idea,
that the body of Jesus hung on the
cross the night after cruciixion. Both
the death and the burial took place on
Friday, the 18th Nissan. The passover
began the preceding evening, and was
to continue seven days longer. 1t was
these additional days which were had
in view by the priests and Pharisees,
when they feared to contract unclean-
ness, by going into the palace of PLATE.
(See John xviii. 2S). The same thing
explains John xiii. 20.
April Is, A. D. 20. "On Saturday,
the 14th Nissan, after which the pass
over" Saturday was not the 14th Of
Nissan nor was the passover after this,
except the seven days yet remaining Of
that feast. The passover began on the
14th of Nissan, which preceded the cru
cifxion one day and as the latter was
on Friday, the former was on Thursday.
And every one of the evangelists says,
that Jesus ate the passover on the even
ing before his crucifxion. Let it be
remembered that the passover was fixed
to the 14th Nissan.
A few cratic minds have conjectured
that the passover, which was eaten by
our Lord and his apostles, the evening
baforo hic doath uoc No nacc0uar at all